[David Deer]

I have been asked to quote for a 4 bed house with 2 lounges hall and three flights of stairs. The client has stated.
"It would be really helpful if you can let me know what type of stuff will be used to clean the property as I would definitely want to avoid use of chemicals on the carpet."

[*Hector*]

Personally I would decline the quote... I can smell trouble all over it....

[David Deer]

Yes full spec:

"*Carpet cleaning *
Bedroom 1 : 12`3 * 10`11
Bedroom 2 : 9 * 8`6
Bedroom 3 : 12`4 * 11`10
Bedroom 4 : 7`8 * 6`10
Living Room: 19`5 * 10`9
Family Room: 12`11 * 11
Study: 11 * 7`9
Dining Room: 12`3 * 8`11
Stairs

*General Cleaning*
Kitchen(Chimney with All in one 6 hob range cooker): 18`6 * 12`3 Utility(with Dishwasher & Washing machine): 13`5 * 8`10 Family Bathroom(Shower room, Bathtub & WC) Low level W/C

Thanks
Sanjeev
"

I will respectfully decline as I don't want to haggle over payment as we missed crumb of mite dropping near the loft hatch, the minging mop head soaking in the bath that had stained the plastic purple has left a shadow after cleaning, the 20 year old cooker didn't come up brand new and you didn't steam clean the five double beds which we didn't mention because we have just had a bed bug infestation treated!

[jasonl]

Dear Sanjeev ,

I can carry out the clean that you require to a high standard .  I am slightly confused by your wish to have no chemicals used , even water is a chemical (h20)  I assume that you do not want harsh detergents or bleaches to be used on your property , which is a sensible approach.  I use only plant derived products which have no negative affects on sensitive occupiers or on the item being cleaned.

To clean the carpets that you require the cost would be  £295

To clean all other items the cost would be £320 , the oven/range cleaning would be carried out by a third party , a trusted party with work carried out to the same high standard as I work to.

If you wish to accept my quotation once we agree on a suitable date I require a 50% deposit to hold the time slot and we will carry out an excellent job for you and your family.

Regards

[derek west]

Dear Sanjeev ,

I can carry out the clean that you require to a high standard .  I am slightly confused by your wish to have no chemicals used , even water is a chemical (h20)  I assume that you do not want harsh detergents or bleaches to be used on your property , which is a sensible approach.  I use only plant derived products which have no negative affects on sensitive occupiers or on the item being cleaned.

To clean the carpets that you require the cost would be  £295

To clean all other items the cost would be £320 , the oven/range cleaning would be carried out by a third party , a trusted party with work carried out to the same high standard as I work to.

If you wish to accept my quotation once we agree on a suitable date I require a 50% deposit to hold the time slot and we will carry out an excellent job for you and your family.

Regards

Now that, is a bloomin good reply.
May i also add, if you don't actually want the job, just stick a nought on the end of the 2 figures and "voilla" a professional reply with no hard feeling either way. 

[Steve Chapman]

This is where an on site visit is needed, you will be able to tell in about 30 seconds whether its trouble or not..........

[gwrightson]

This is where an on site visit is needed, you will be able to tell in about 30 seconds whether its trouble or not..........

Spot on,
Go and take a look,  it makes sense to survey every job imho , you see EXACTLY what your dealing with, you spot potential problems and you have a far greater chance of converting into a job. I still don't understand why some people don't survey!!!

I survey around 95% of my enquiries, and I turn the vast majority into jobs.
The custy feels much more comfortable meeting who they are dealing with, and the chance of gaining even more work whilst you are there are.
Some will say the logistics are not right, rubbish  make an effort and allow for this service in your quote.
Geoff 

[jasonl]

Thanks derek I try and avoid a visit to potential trouble and set my stall out , be an expert whilst being polite at the same time . If they accept its a bonus if not it's no loss .

[Steve Chapman]

Not sure why anyone would conclude its trouble just because he's said no chemicals ?

Customers often say this, but you need to qualify what they actually mean....... sometimes they mean something completely different.

A good service will cater to the customers needs rather than stipulate what we think they should have.....

If they have a particular need surley its good customer service to try & help.....

[JandS]

Can't beat going to quote....reckon 50% of the time I get more work from them than they wanted doing.
Popped in to an old dear this dinnertime whilst passing to give a quote for her flat....lounge/diner and hallway of her flat...ended up with both bedrooms as well.

[scott johns]

to price up over the phone can be quite a risk as you don't know what your walking into when
you turn up for the job they will always say its clean I just want it freshened up which normally
means they have attempted it with every thing under the kitchen sink , then expect you to remove
every spot and stain. now if you have visited them before hand its a lot easier to explain what can
and cant be done I find this a lot easier as you can walk a way from the job if you can see problems.
also they all sound nice on the phone but when you meet them they expect the more then they said
on the phone also carpets normally trashed. happy cleaning